- Location
- St Ives, Cambridgeshire
- Main postcode district
- PE27
- Nearby (straight line)
- Huntingdon (5 miles), St Neots (11 miles) and Cambridge (12 miles)
- Survey and quote
- Free, with a fixed written quote
A scissor lift table, often called a dock lift, is a powered platform raised and lowered by a hydraulic scissor mechanism to move goods between two levels. At a loading bay it lifts pallets and pallet trucks from ground level to the height of a trailer bed, making it a practical alternative to a raised dock where forming one is not possible.
What matters for scissor lift tables in St Ives?
Town-centre and retail sites around St Ives with little yard space often choose a dock lift because a recessed approach ramp would take up too much room. Businesses in St Ives receiving both vans and articulated trailers through one doorway can use a lift table to serve every bed height from the same opening.
Sites in St Ives replacing an ageing dock lift should look at its LOLER examination history, as repeated defects can signal that replacement is due.
Any project involving scissor lift tables at a working site in St Ives takes planning. We survey free of charge, quote a fixed price in writing, and then agree a programme that keeps as much of the dock running as possible. Specialist installation engineers carry out the work under our management, out of hours if that suits you better. On completion we test each item, show your team how it operates and leave the documentation with you.
What inspections does a scissor lift table need under LOLER?
A scissor lift table is lifting equipment, so it needs a thorough examination under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) at least every 12 months. If it lifts people, such as an operator riding with a pallet truck, the interval is every 6 months, unless a competent person draws up a written examination scheme instead. Which applies depends on the equipment and how it is used; your insurer or competent person will confirm.
In Northern Ireland the equivalent is LOLER (Northern Ireland) 1999, and the regulator is HSENI rather than HSE.
Thorough examination is separate from routine maintenance. The lift is also work equipment under PUWER, so it must be maintained in a safe condition between examinations.
We specify lift tables to BS EN 1570-1:2024, the current safety standard for lifting tables, and explain the examination regime at handover. Planned loading bay servicing can be arranged to fit around the examination dates.
What happens on site when a dock lift is installed?
Installing a dock lift takes the doorway out of use while any pit is formed and the lift fitted, so an alternative loading point should be planned for that period.
- Pit works: where a pit is needed, the yard is broken out, the pit formed and drained, and the concrete left to cure.
- Delivery and positioning: the lift is offloaded and set in place by forklift or crane, then levelled and fixed.
- Power and controls: the power pack and control station are connected to the supply confirmed at survey.
- Testing: the lift is run through its full travel, safety devices are checked and it is tested under load.
- Handover: operators are shown how to use it, and the documents and examination regime are explained.
We ask you to provide a delivery route, a cleared working area, the electrical supply, any drawings of buried services and a contact on site.
The same published guide range applies across England; access, out-of-hours working and site conditions are confirmed at the free survey.
What does the free survey cover?
- Control positions, isolators and any existing interlocks
- Escape routes and pedestrian doors close to the bay
- Dock height and the mix of trailers you load
- Scope to convert ground-level doors into docks or add lift tables
- Lighting inside trailers and at the dock face
- Wheel guide positions and yard markings for reversing vehicles
Options to discuss
Safety bellows and skirts
A flexible enclosure around the scissor mechanism that keeps hands, feet and debris out of shear and crush points, and helps keep the mechanism clean.
Surface-mounted lift table
Stands on the existing floor with a short ramp on to the platform at its lowest height. No excavation, a quicker install and easier to relocate later.
Which rules apply in England?
Workplace safety in England is regulated by HSE. For a loading bay in St Ives, that means doors meeting regulation 18 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, equipment maintained under PUWER and suitable safeguards against vehicles driving away too early. We check what applies at survey and design the bay accordingly.
Questions about scissor lift tables in St Ives
What warranty comes with new loading bay equipment?
New equipment comes with the manufacturer's warranty, which varies by product. Our workmanship terms are set out in writing in the quote for your St Ives site, so you can see what is covered before you commit. Check the warranty terms for any servicing conditions, and we can quote for planned maintenance once the installation is complete.
Do you remove and dispose of the old equipment?
Yes, where it is part of the scope. When we replace doors, levellers, shelters or seals at a site in St Ives, removal and disposal of the old equipment can be included and is itemised in the quote, so it is clear what is covered. If anything should be kept, such as a frame or motor that is still serviceable, we agree that at survey.
Is VAT included in your guide prices for scissor lift tables?
No. Our customers are businesses, so guide prices exclude VAT, which is added at the standard rate. The same guide range applies in Cambridgeshire as everywhere else: for scissor lift tables, it is £9,500 to £28,000 per lift, excluding VAT. It covers supply and fit for a typical installation. Your fixed written quote after the free survey shows the net price, the VAT and exactly what is included.
Can a scissor lift table be installed outdoors?
Yes, scissor lift tables are often installed outdoors at the loading door. Outdoor lifts need a drained pit or a suitable base, weather-resistant finishes and controls, and sometimes a canopy over the loading area. A canopy is an external structure that may need planning permission, which we check at survey.
What capacity of dock lift do I need?
A dock lift needs a capacity above the heaviest combined load it will carry, including the goods, the pallet truck and an operator if they ride on it. Loading bay lifts are typically rated somewhere between 2,000 and 6,000 kg. We work out the right rating from your loads at survey.
Scissor lift tables near St Ives
Looking beyond St Ives? Our pages for Huntingdon (5 miles), St Neots (11 miles) and Cambridge (12 miles) describe the same loading bay services and how to get in touch.
Other loading bay services in St Ives
Full guide to scissor lift tables · Everything we do in St Ives
Ready to talk about a loading bay in St Ives? Call us, or send the details through the quote form.